Rotary valve for hydrocarbon-engines.



G. l.. SCHOFIELD.

ROTARY VALVE FOR HYDROCARBON ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JANA 10, 191s.

LZQQBD Patented Apr. 1T, 191?.

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ROTARY VALVE 1F01?, HYDROCARBN-EIUGINES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.y l Patented ipr. 1V?, llglli'..

Application filed January 10, 1916. Serial to. 71,26%.

the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which foim a part of this specification.

My invention relates to rotary valves forf hydrocarbon engines, and more particularly to a valve of that character wherein a movable valve member, having a single port, is rotated to carry its port successively to registration with the intake, spark and exhaust ports of a stationary member, in order to effect the fuel intake, explosion and exhaust; the principal object of the present invention being to eHectively lubricate the movable valve member and thereby facilitate its operation.

In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure I is a perspective view of a part of an engine cylinder and its valve housing, parts of the valve members being broken away for better illustration.

Fig. II is a horizontal section on the line II-IL Fig. I. v

Fig.' III is a detail perspective vieW of the rotary valve member.

' Fig-IV is a detail perspective of the stationary valve cup.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

-1 designates the cylinder of a hydro-carbon motor, having an open outer end provided with a lateral flange 2 for attachment to the like flange 3 of a valve housing 4 which is adapted to seat on and close the cylinder.

The cylinder is cut away at its outer end to form a recess 6, and seated on the end of the cylinder, Within said recess, is the flange 8, of a valve cup 9 which is anchored to the cylinder and Within the recess when the housing 4: is attached to the vcylinder by the usual flange bolts 10, but is spaced from the inner surface of the housing'toform the annular chamber 11 and the end chamber 13, the positioning of the flange within its recess tending to center the valve cup within the housing to maintain an even width of the annular chamber about the cup.

Rotatably mounted in the annular chamber 11 and fitting snugly against the inner surface of the valve housing and against the outer surface of the cup, is a valve mein- -ber 15, having a centra-l boss 16 at its outer end that is projected into the enlargement 17 of the top chamber 13 of the valve lions ing, and carries a shaft 18 which projects through a bearing 19 in the end of the housing, and is operatively connected, in any suitable manner, with the motor (not shown), of which the cylinder 1 forms a part, so that when the motor is in operation the valve 16 will be revolved within the valve housing and about the cup 8.

The valve housing -i is provided with intake, spark and exhaust ports and the valve cup 9 with ports 21-25-26 that communicate with the housing ports, the cup .and housing ports being separated by the rotary valve member, however, so that communication can only be established between the housing and cup ports through a port 27 in the rotary member.

In order to properly lubricate the rotary valve member I provide for supplying oil to the valve housing through a supply conduit 29, which may be connected with a pump, indicated at 30, in order that oilinay be forced through the conduit into the housing. The conduit 29 opens through the end i of the valve housing into the enlarged chambei' portion 17, so that a supply of oil may be constantly maintained under pressure within the valve housing. IVhile this supply of oil would tend to flowover the end of the rotary valve and pass down the sides thereof, I insure the lubrication of the sides or outersurface of the rotary member by providing the same with a groove 32 which opens at its upper end through the top of the rotary member and is preferably inclined rearwardly relative to the direction of the travel of the rotary member, so that as the member moves, oil which enters thev groove from the top of the housing is forced along the groove'to the' bottom of ythe valve, it being apparent that as the groove extends rearwardly and inwardly, the. forward movement of the rotary inember Will tend to induce friction of the oil in the groove against the inner surface of the valve housing, and force the oil along the groove to the cup fiange 8 so that all parts of the valve are properly lubricated.

While the groove 32 provides for lubrication of the outer surface of the rotary valve member, the member also has bearing on the outer surface of the cup 9 and in order to provide for lubrication of such bearing, I provide the top of the rotary valve with an aperture 23, through which lubricant may pass from the oil chamber 17 in the valve housing to the interior of the valve member, where it is delivered onto the top of the cup 9. Oil that is passed through the aperture 33 is distributed through a groove 34 in the cup, which extends lfrom the center of the cup outwardly and in the direction of travel of the valve member, to the edge of the cup and thence downwardly and forwardly in the sides of the cup to the flange 6, so that as the rotary member turns about the cup, friction on the oil forces the same *"ough the groove and over the top of the, ip and along the sides thereof, so

that the bearing surface of the movable member against the cup is properly lubricated.

As most engines of the explosive type comprise a plurality of cylinders, I provide for lubricating all of the cylinders in train by connecting the oil chamber 17 of one valve housing with alike chamber of a succeeding housing by means of a conduit 36 which opens into the iirst chamber 17 at the side opposite the conduit 29 and is of less capacity than the conduit 29, so that a pressure is maintained within each valve housing that tends to force the oil about the ports and into their respective grooves.

Assuming that an engine is constructed and assembled as described and properly connected with the intake, exhaust and spark members, and the rotary valve operatively connected with a driving part of the engine, when the engine is in operation the rotary valve member travels within the annular space within the valve head and brings its port 27 into proper sequential registration with the intake, spark and exhaust ports, so that fuel is taken into the cylinder and exploded and the burnt gases exhausted in proper sequence.

During this operation of the valve, the

pump forces oil into the oil chamber in the first valve housing and pressure of the oil within the housing tends to force the same about the rotary valve member and into the groove therein, so that the oil is carried about the member to properly lubricate the same. Pressure of the oil also forces the same through the 'aperture 33 in the valve member onto the tp\ of the stationary cup 9 and movement of the rotary valve over the cup forces the oil through the groove and along the top and the "sides ofthe cup to lubricate the inner surface VAof the valve member.

As the oil outlet conduit 36 is of less capacity than the intake 29, there is an accumulation of oil under pressure within the-oil chamber 17 and the surplus of oil is forced out through the outlet 36 to the next valve housing, so that all of the cylinders in the engine may be lubricated from the single primary pump.

Having thus described my invention, what I claimas new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. The combination with a valve housing, of a cup located Within and spaced from the housing to form annular and end chambers, a rotary valve located within said chambers and having a lubricant channel in its outer surface, and having an aperture for supplying lubricant to the valve cup, the said valve cup having a groove in its top and side, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a valve housing, of a cup located Within and spaced from thehousing, and a rotary valve located be.

tween 'the cup and housing, the said cup having a groove in its top and side Walls, inclined forwardly relative to the direction of travel of the rotary member.

3. The combination with a valve housing, of a cup located within the housing, and a rotary valve located between the cup and housing and forming a lubricant chamber therebetween, and lubricant inlet and outlet conduits in communication with said chamber, the outlet conduit being of less capacity than the intake, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a valve housing, having a raised portion, of a cup located within the housing, a rotary valve located between the cup and the housing and coperating with the raised portion of the housing to form a lubricant chamber, the said cup having a groove in its end and side wall, and the valve'having a groove in its side wall andhaving an aperture in its end wall for delivering oil from said chamber'to the cup, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

GEORGE L. SCHOFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cnts each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D; 0. 

